ninjafoo Ng

A Second Life on Linux

Friday, May 26, 2006

SL LUG Meeting Moved to 31st May

The SLLUG meeting scheduled for the 27th of May has been moved back to the 31st of May. This reflects a permanent move to a new Wednesday meeting slot that we hope more users will be able to attend. Saturdays do have a habit of clashing with RL :)

The meeting will be at the same place and time, just on a Wednesday - 12pm SLT (8pm GMT, 9pm CET) at Maryport (182,150) (Find -> Events -> check upcoming -> search for 'Linux').

I will be at the meeting place for the duration of what would have been the Saturday meeting.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Linux Client 1.10.0.32 DOA

Well update Wednesday came, with no word from anybody regarding the status of the Linux client for quite some time, we all got a bit nervy. Especially when someone claimed to know for certain that there would be no Linux client for the short term. Panic!! (SL Forum : Current Development?, Linux Alpha gone?).

Imagine our relief and excitement when a download link for a new Linux client appeared on the downloads page, unfortunately it wasn't to be. The new client has some major stability problems, it seems areas of any complexity cause the client to crash hard (SL Forum : Crashes with 1.10.0.32 - any tips?, 1.10.0.32 - Post Your Success).

While we wait for a new native release the Windows client does work perfectly with Wine (use winecfg to set the version of Win98 for the installer to work, then put back to WinXP to run - SL Forum : 1.10.0.32 windows client doesn't install in Linux).

Personally, I find the whole episode laughable. There was no Linux client for use on the preview grid, so no way for the community to do any testing of what is quite a major update. Not a word from anyone at LL about the status of the Linux client since the last episode, and in the end we get a client that is so badly broken LL either knew full well they were fobbing the Linux user base off, or they simply didn't even bother to test the build at all (neither of which are particularly inspiring possibilities).

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

SL LUG 27th May : Bring a bottle...

The next meeting of the SLLUG will take place on Saturday 27th May, 12pm SLT (8pm GMT, 9pm CET) at Maryport (182,150) (Find -> Events -> check upcoming -> search for 'Linux').

Bring a bottle...

well, after the update to 1.9.10 was dropped at the last minute (No New Newness) it looks like this Wednesday will see a roll out of the new client. A new Linux client might be on the table, it might not, so far there has been no word from LL but the feeling seems to be that we are to be left high and dry (SL Forum : Current Development?). In any event, the meeting will be about the exciting new features, even if we all have to bring a bottle.....

Monday, May 22, 2006

Shameless Plug

Someone said on the SL forums that LSL is great, until you try to do just about anything with it.

They weren't kidding. To a dedicated OOP fanatic like myself, working with LSL feels like one hack after another. A project of any size rapidly feels like a huge collection of workarounds. I can only hope that things will improve when Mono is finally implemented. It's little wonder scripters are few and far between.

Anyway, My first product release is a script to control the shade,tint and translucency of your windows. Create a prim for all your windows, link them together, and drop my script and config file into the root prim.

You (and a named list of other users) can then adjust your windows just by clicking on them and using the menu. Everything can be configured (right down to defining your own custom list of window shades), works with all prim types, and you can easily make your windows 'One-Way'.

The price is L$250 and includes on site support. Yes, that really does mean I will come to your property and help you one on one if you need it.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

SL LUG 20th May : Lets Get Logo!

The next meeting of the SLLUG will take place on Saturday 20th May, 12pm SLT (8pm GMT, 9pm CET) at Maryport (182,150) (Find -> Events -> check upcoming -> search for 'Linux').

Lets Get Logo!

Its high time the SLLUG had a well designed logo. So if you have any ideas, design skills and are prepared to commit a little time (please bring examples of previous work), or just want to have your say come to the meeting. The actual designer of the logo will be picked by the group at a later meeting and given as much time as required.

As usual there will be plenty of informal banter about things relating to running Second Life on Linux, Linux in general and almost anything else you care to bring up. Group is very newbie friendly, if a little techie at times :)

Friday, May 12, 2006

Its only a game....

I have decided that its time I started to write up my experiences in Second Life, if for no other reason than to keep a record of my journey and help keep things clear in my own mind. I have never kept a journal before, so I apologise now for all the rubbish parts.

So much has happened in the short time Second Life has been a part of my life, It's made me question some of the very foundations of my identity and exposed me to people and ideas that I simply couldn't have understood in another context. So lets just start at the beginning.

I never really understood Second Life before I tried it, it was just another 3D chat that somehow involved you spending real money on virtual goods. Jaded by the financial practices of There.com (who charge you for everything, right down to the ammunition for the paint-ball gun) I had no real desire to try. In effect, I had written off all metaverse projects as little more than games designed to fleece teenagers.

The talk of a Second Life client for Linux on the other hand was very interesting, afterall, any game that gets ported to Linux has to be worth a look. So, when the beta was released in back in February, I dutifully handed over my credit card details, and signed up for a free account.

I don't think I have ever been more wrong about anything in my life.

EpiphanyA sudden manifestation of the essence or meaning of something .... “I experienced an epiphany, a spiritual flash that would change the way I viewed myself” (Frank Maier). Quoted from Answers.Com

After some initial struggling with the application and a host of Linux specific bugs, the skeptical fog that I had built over a couple of years suddenly cleared and I understood. Second Life really was that, a chance to have a second life entirely of your choosing.

From buildings to objects to people to cultures within cultures to sex and beyond. The metaverse is so diverse that it really can offer something to almost everybody, all it takes is a little patience, a friend to help you into the world and a hug.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

No New Newness :(

For reasons unknown, the Second Life 1.9.1 release has been postponed (All platforms - SL Forum : 1.9.1 release postponed).

From the forum chatter it seems some of the new features simply weren't ready for release. With the latest preview offing less than previous versions (SL Forum : And boom. Vertex shaders and shadows are gone.) combined with reports of rendering weirdness (SL Forum : specular lighting in new shaders) and a massive drop in performance in the latest preview, it would seem that Linden Labs have tried to run before they can walk, and had a commenting out session to try and get a stable client.

Such a shame, I was really looking forward to the hardware lighting.....

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

SL LUG 13th May : New Newness! (or not!)

The next meeting of the SLLUG will take place on Saturday 13th May, 12pm SLT (8pm GMT, 9pm CET) at Maryport (182,150). As usual you can find the location using the find (Events -> check upcoming -> search for 'Linux')

New Newness!

Nothing planned for this meeting other than to discuss the wonderful new client, the new features and how the Linux port faired. Second Life 1.9.1 is due to be released on Wednesday so fingers crossed it all goes to plan and we get don't get left out. The Preview does contain a lot of very exciting new features, so expect lots of illuminated floppies!

Next Week

No competition / planned event for this week as we will have more than enough to talk about (hopefully). The following meeting (pencilled in for the 20th) I want to talk about / get ideas concerning a logo for the SLLUG. You have a week and a half to get those creative juices flowing :D

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

SL LUG 6th May - 3 Prim Building Event

The next meeting of the SLLUG will take place on Saturday 6th May, 12pm SLT (8pm GMT, 9pm CET) at Maryport (182,150). As usual you can find the location using the find (Events -> check upcoming -> search for 'Linux')

Up for discussion will be ideas for the long term funding of the LUG, all ideas and suggestions welcome!

3 Prim Building Event

Going to try something a little different this week and have a live build event. During the meeting you will have 30 mins to build anything you like with 3 Prims, no more, no less. Prizes will be awarded to the first, second and third place winners who will take away L$500, L$300 & L$200 respectively.

Competition Rules

3 Prims, no more, no less.

Your entry must be no larger than 10M x 10M x 10M

No limits on what you do with your prims or how you texture them.

Your entry must be created at the meeting within the allowed 30 minutes.

No Scripts.

The group will vote on the winners. Prize money will be awarded at the meeting.